Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Liberia)

Liberia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Liberia

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The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is a Parliament-enacted organization created in May 2005 under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Its mandate is to "promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation" by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in the country and to report on gross human rights violations that occurred in Liberia between January 1979 and 14 October 2003.

The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was released July 1, 2009 and is available at www.trcofliberia.org/reports/final.

In their Final Report, issued June 2009, the TRC included Sirleaf in a list of 49 names of people that should be "specifically barred from holding public offices; elected or appointed for a period of thirty (30) years" for "being associated with former warring factions." On 26 July Sirleaf apologized to Liberia for supporting Charles Taylor, adding that "when the true nature of Mr. Taylor’s intentions became known, there was no more impassioned critic or strong opponent to him in a democratic process" than she. On 28 August Liberia's parliament announced they must "consult our constituents for about a year" before deciding whether or not to implement the Commission's recommendations.

In January 2011, the Supreme Court ruled in Williams v. Tah, a case brought a person recommended for being banned from public office in the TRC report, that the TRC's recommendation was an unconstitutional violation of the listed individuals' right to procedural due process, and that it would be unconstitutional for the government to implement the proposed bans.

Commissoners

The government of Liberia appointed 10 members.

• Jerome J. Verdier, chairperson
• Dede Dolopei, vice chairperson
• Oumu K. Syllah, treasurer
• Bishop Arthur F. Kulah
• Sheikh Kafumba F. Konneh
• Pearl Brown Bull
• Gerald B. Coleman
• John H. T. Stewart
• Massa Washington
• Henrietta Joy Abena Mensa Bonsu

Sources

• Official Website of the TRC
• Liberia to get US abuses report 31 October 2007, BBC News